1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is broadly concerned with an improved water bed liner and sheeting system having a liner coupled with a sheet or other mattress covering for quick, easy removal and replacement of the covering. More particularly, it is concerned with a system having a water impervious liner fitted with a zipper track around its perimeter and a sheet having a zipper track fitted around its perimeter so that the liner and the sheet may be easily coupled at the top perimeter of the mattress without the need for tucking the sheet under the corners of the water mattress. Alternatively, one zipper track may be integrally attached to the upper perimeter of the mattress for coupling with the sheet. In other embodiments for use with a conventional mattress, a zipper track is integrally attached to three sides of the perimeter of a mattress for engagement with a zipper track extending along three sides of a mattress cover, and a cuff depends from the remaining side of the cover for receiving the remaining side of the mattress.
2. Description of the Related Art
Prior art mattress covering systems employed flat or fitted bottom sheets which were tucked under the sides and corners of the mattress to present a smooth sleeping surface. Installation of such sheets required lifting the corners of the mattress to tuck the sheets in place. Such sheets are difficult to install in tight situations such as berths in yachts and trucks, baby cribs, and even in conventional rooms where the bed is placed against a wall or in a corner. In the case of water-filled mattresses, the weight of even a corner of the mattress virtually precludes effective tucking of the sheet. Since the sheets cannot be effectively secured in place by tucking, the sleeping surface frequently presents a rumpled appearance and the sheets may even become completely loosened and tangled. Moreover, such a bunched sheeting surface is substantially less comfortable than a smooth surface for the sleeper.
A number of mattress covering systems have been proposed to address this problem. U.S. Pat. No. 4,301,561 issued to McLeod discloses an underliner for installation between the liner and the mattress. The underliner has velcro strips for attachment to a sheet having side panels which extend downwardly along the sidewalls and endwalls of the mattress. This system would thus require insertion of the hands between the water mattress and the frame in order to fasten and unfasten the sheet. A number of systems have been developed for use with conventional mattresses, but such systems generally cannot be employed with water mattresses because of the great weight of the mattress when filled. U.S. Pat. No. 3,083,378 issued to Pursell and U.S. Pat. No. 2,907,055 issued to Berman disclose fitted sheets for conventional mattresses having side panel zippers; U.S. Pat. No. 4,809,375 issued to Bull and U.S. Pat. No. 3,530,487 issued to Beer disclose conventional mattresses having zippers joined to the upper and lower mattress welting respectively for joining to a sheet or other mattress covering. U.S. Pat. No. 1,972,919 issued to Chambless discloses a sheet for conventional mattresses having a pocket with a side panel zipper.